Nalerigu (N/R), June 4, GNA - Vice President Aliu Mahama has cautioned that politics should not be conducted in a manner that would bring divisions and destroy the cohesion and unity of society. Addressing an enthusiastic crowd at a grand durbar held in his honour at Nalerigu in the Mamprusi East District, he said the beauty of democracy must be sustained by allowing individuals to freely choose political parties they wanted to belong to.

"We must not see those who do not belong to our political sides as enemies because party politics is just about the competition of ideas to win power to work for the improvement of the common good," he said. "What we need to do is to persuade people to see the good in us to join us and not to intimidate them or coerce them to accept our choices".

The Vice President advised that politicians and their supporters who used falsehood and divisive tactics to win political favour should be exposed.

He said it was very crucial to maintain the peace and stability of every society during the electioneering campaign and the elections to sustain the nation's pace to socio-economic prosperity, adding that conflicts would erode the gains made and stall progress.

Vice President Mahama said he was appreciative that the Nayiri Na-Bohagu Mahami Sheriga, Paramount Chief of Mamprugu Traditional Area, and his people had commended the Government for the rehabilitation of roads, the provision of school infrastructure, accommodation for medical staff and other development projects in his area.

The Government, he said, would continue to keep faith with the people and strengthen its efforts to create jobs and prosperity to alleviate poverty.

He said their request for the extension of electricity and telephone services to all communities would be met in due course, while efforts would be made to ensure that the contractors tarring the Walewale - Nalerigu - Mampruri road and those constructing bridges over the Suskiliga River complete their jobs on schedule.

The Nayiri had praised the Government for providing his area with its fair share of development projects, saying it was the existence of peace and unity there that had made it possible for the Government to meet their needs.

He appealed to other traditional authorities in the North to work towards resolving their conflicts with dialogue so that they would have the peace to progress.

Nayiri Na-Bohagu Sheriga, said he agreed with the proposal to create another region from the Northern Region to facilitate development in all parts of the otherwise very large Region.

However, he said, the process should be pushed thoroughly and carefully so that all the interests of the various stakeholders were taken into consideration to avoid conflicts.

He pledged the cooperation and support of his people for the Government in its efforts to move the nation into prosperity. The crowd sang and danced with the Vice President and his entourage, including the Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and President's Special Initiatives, Hajia Alima Mahama, who hails from the area.

The Vice President, who is on a week's duty tour of the Upper East and Northern Regions to interact with the people and illicit their views to improve national policies and programmes, visited the chiefs and people of Gambaga, Langbinsi, Bunkpurugu, Yunyoo and Nakpanduri, all in the Mamprusi East District.

Vice President Mahama addressed similar durbars and emphasized his call for peace and unity, the need to give their children quality education and explained the Government's agenda to deepen democracy and support the private sector to accelerate national progress.

He also inspected work on the construction of six bridges on River Suskiliga and advised the contractor to do a good job and in good time. The Government is sponsoring the project with 1.6 billion cedis, while the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa is supporting with 2.6 million dollars.

Alhaji Bukari Ben Salifu, Minister of State at the Office of the Senior Minister; Dr Gesika A. Agambilla, Deputy Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways; Mr Joe Akudibilla, Deputy Minister of Defence; Madam Hawa Yakubu, Member of Parliament for Bawku Central and ECOWAS Parliament and other Government officials accompanied the Vice President.

The rest were Mr. Andrew Awuni, a Deputy Minister of Information and Mr. John Benam Jabaah, Deputy Minster, Employment and Manpower Development.